NOVPUBAs for Gao Shun, Li Youu didn’t know much about him, but the astonishing skill he had witnessed by chance left an indelible impression on him. The Trap Formation consisted of fewer than eight hundred men, yet its sharpness caused Li Youu’s heart to palpitate with fear.
"Is that so?" Liu Bei asked curiously, without the slightest suspicion regarding Li Youu’s knowledge of such matters.
"How could Jia Wenhe, holding the reins of intelligence, neglect such crucial information?" Li Youu complained indignantly. Without preparation, a direct assault could have easily resulted in a humiliating setback.
"Oh, Wen He has been busy with a lot lately, so the occasional oversight is normal. Besides, no serious harm has been done. However, Wen Ru, your return is truly a blessing; without you here to help patch up the gaps, I always feel out of my element," Liu Bei said with a smile, showing no intention of reprimanding Jia Xu.
In fact, it was not Jia Xu’s fault; he had never encountered Gao Shun or Zhang Liao. Back when he was under Dong Zhuo’s command, Jia Xu had a run-in with Lyu Bu, but he hadn’t paid attention to the low-profile Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, who had yet to showcase their abilities. After all, seeing Dong Zhuo’s penchant for courting disaster, Jia Xu had already started slacking off quietly.
"That’s fine. The affairs in Xuzhou have been settled, and Chen Yuanlong’s transfer document will be presented soon. I think my stay in Xuzhou is no longer necessary. The preparations for our backup plan in Yuzhou are nearing activation," Li Youu nodded and said. "However, there might be some issues with Yuan Gonglu’s side. Both Sun Bofu and Zhou Yu are extraordinary figures!"
"Ah, let’s set Yuan Gonglu aside for the moment. It was always ’heads I win, tails I don’t lose’. As Jia Wenhe said from the start, this is just taking advantage of the situation; no harm done if it doesn’t succeed," Liu Bei said with equanimity. He now understood where his priorities should lie. The temporary gains or losses in Yuzhou were inconsequential. As long as he could secure Jizhou, the rest would eventually fall into place.
"Nothing could be better than Lord’s character. However, for the short term, I should primarily stay at the Political Office. One reason is to assist Zijing with the backlog of administrative work accumulated by Zichuan and others, and the other is to lull Ju Gongyu and his associates into complacency," Li Youu said calmly.
Putting on a full act was essential. Ju Shou, Xuu You, and others were very pleased with Li Youu’s handling of the Xuzhou affair. Despite minor imperfections, it was precisely because of these that Ju Shou and Xuu You found Li Youu to be credible.
"Hmm, then you should help Zijing with the administration first. Ziyang will lend a hand as well. Oh, and you’ll need to review Boning’s new laws. But do you understand legal matters, Wen Ru?" Liu Bei nodded slightly in agreement for Li Youu to take on the administrative duties, and then inquired out of habit.
"I know a little. However, there should be no problems with just reviewing them. Are Boning’s new laws focused on legal principles or human sentiments?" Li Youu asked. He wasn’t joking; he truly understood these matters. Nevertheless, Li Youu felt it was better to ask about the laws’ orientation to be well prepared.
"I’m not sure about that, but Boning mentioned that many customary laws without formal documentation were incorporated into the trial legislation, along with some clan regulations," Liu Bei explained rather vaguely.
"Ah, that tells me a lot. So it leans towards human sentiments. I always thought that fellow was a Cruel Official; I didn’t expect him to favor sentiments. It must have been someone’s influence," Li Youu nodded, understanding the situation after getting the gist from Liu Bei, who was typified by his lack of detailed knowledge.
"Probably so. As for what you referred to as influence, I had Boning and Zhongyu work together on the new laws precisely because, as you mentioned, Boning tends to be rather severe," Liu Bei said, somewhat helplessly.
Afterwards, Liu Bei remembered that Li Youu had no idea who the other person he referred to was, and spoke up again, "Ah, two individuals from the Xun family came to us after our sacrifices to the heroic spirits. One is called Xun Yan, Xun Xiuruo, capable of governance; the other is named Xun Yue, Xun Zhongyu, with the ability to establish laws, nurture virtue, and educate the people."
Compared to Xun Yan, Liu Bei held Xun Yue in very high regard. In his opinion, this person’s talents were at least sufficient to be one of the Nine Ministers.
Li Youu nodded without speaking. Xun Yan was younger and less well known to him. Xun Yue, on the other hand, was someone Li Youu had heard of. When Dong Zhuo rose to power and sought out the Xun family, Xun Yue was never overlooked. And as Liu Bei said, Xun Yue possessed the ability to legislate, cultivate virtue, and educate the people.
"Hmm, with that said, congratulations to Lord Xuande for acquiring such a great talent," Li Youu said with a smile. The aristocratic families were finally softening under the imposing strength of Liu Bei.
"Compared to them, I’m actually very grateful to have your help. Any one of you serving as a Minister would be undervalued. Zichuan may seem lethargic all day long, but in the time he’s left, he shows enough capability to be a Chancellor without a doubt; Zijing works tirelessly and diligently every day. Half of the stability in my domain, Liu Xuande’s rule, can be attributed to him, and his talent for the Chancellor’s position is unquestionable," said Liu Bei with extreme admiration.
"Zichuan and Zijing complement each other well. Zichuan for strategy, Zijing for details. Together, they are perfect," Li Youu said with a serious expression. "However, Zijing is too hardworking, to the point of neglecting himself. It’s bound to lead to problems sooner or later."
"Right, Zijing works too hard; he works past midnight, then starts dealing with political affairs before the Mao Period," Liu Bei said with a look of helplessness.
Liu Bei had previously mentioned this to Lub Su, hoping he would rest more. However, even if Lub Su did take a break for a couple of days, he would soon be back to his old ways - a complete workaholic. While others were concerned about their subordinates slacking off, Liu Bei was genuinely worried that Lub Su, with his continuous hard work, would pass away prematurely.
"All I can do now is have the kitchen prepare meals for Zijing on time each day. I finally understand the value of the ever-present small kitchen that Zichuan spoke about," Liu Bei sighed.
"Hehehehe…" Li Ru laughed stiffly. Lub Su, that overtime maniac, would surely be working when you arrived in the morning, and he’d still be working when you left at night. The guy simply never took a break; exhaustion was undoubtedly his end.
"Moving on to Wen Ru, you can do just about anything, can’t you?" Liu Bei asked uncertainly. "I find you hard to read. Like Zichuan, you lack any desire for power, and like him, you seem capable of handling anything. Sometimes I wonder if you two are brothers from the same master."
"Let’s not go there. I can’t compare with Zichuan, and let’s forget about the Chancellor as well. If we’re talking about the civil and military officials, the role I’m best suited for is Director of the Secretariat - plugging loopholes and fixing oversights. The positions of Chancellor belong to Zichuan, Zijing, and Kongming," Li Youu said, shaking his head. By now, his desire for power had diminished considerably; having his wishes fulfilled was enough. He had experienced all that he needed to.
"Alright, after the restoration of the Han Dynasty, I will certainly recommend you to His Majesty for the position of Director of the Secretariat," Liu Bei said solemnly, missing the twitch in Li Youu’s smile. (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
